The man. The myth. The mustache. No, I’m not talking about Tom Selleck, but someone greater: Ron Burgundy. He has touched more people (especially women) than any other anchorman in fictional history. As Mandela said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall,” and no one knows more about falling (both literally and figuratively) than Ron Burgundy. Times may change, but Ron Burgundy will always remain the same, which is exactly what Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is counting on us to expect. Aside from new political and social issues, Anchorman 2 uses the same successful formula it applied on its first film, except it multiplied it to the nth degree.
Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is still doing what he loves, and that’s reporting the news with his wife Veronica (Christina Applegate), until lead, primetime anchor Mack Harken (Harrison Ford) names his successor, and it’s not Ron. Outraged from getting picked over his wife (and getting fired), he separates from his wife, until he is approached to be part of a revolutionary news station that will broadcast news 24 hours a day. That can only mean one thing: NEWS TEAM ASSEMBLE! (no conch horn this time)
He goes to get Champ Kind (David Koechner) from his very lucrative business selling “chicken of the cave” in a restaurant. After he agrees, we go to meet Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), who is a well-known pet photographer, who is a harder sell. Eventually giving in, they must find (and revive) Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), who agrees without hesitation. Getting back on top won’t be easy, especially with rival news anchor Jack Lime (James Marsden), who is a much younger, hotter version of Ron. But that isn’t the only obstacle the news crew must face. They must deal with a changing social climate, fatherhood, the changing definition of “news”, and love interests like Brick’s infatuation with Chani (Kristen Wiig).
There is a clear pattern in both films as far as the blueprint set down for the story. A great majority of the jokes and gags are an evolution of what they were in the first film. The biggest difference between the films is that this one benefits from a lack of inhibitions. With every joke and action sequence, it goes all in, and rarely ever busts. Saying the humor in Anchorman 2 is over-the-top is an immense understatement. The humor is so far above over-the-top that I’m surprised they didn’t run into Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in space. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’ll just say that there is an endearing moment involving Ron, his son, and a shark.
The only way this film could disappoint you is if you were expecting to see a serious period piece looking into the news scene of the 1970’s. If that’s the case, you are better off waiting for Mad Men season 6, and avoiding this film because the only thing that is sacred in Anchorman 2 is how completely it embraces irreverence. The quality and quantity of celebrity cameos in this film can best be described as galactic because of all the stars you’ll encounter, many of which you would never expect to be in this film, let alone playing the role they are.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an avante-garde sequel that is slightly similar to the first film, except on crack (literally at one point). This movie is far from perfect, but it is perfect in its imperfections. That didn’t make sense did it? Don’t question it, because the moment you start thinking about the logic behind everything is the same moment you’ll stop having fun.
RATING: ★★★★★★★(7/10 stars)
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IN THEATERS DECEMBER 18TH
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